Monday, March 12, 2012

"The Future of Fear" and other thoughts

Last night, after The Walking Dead, I obviously couldn't sleep (more on that in a minute) so I watched something I had DVR'd, The Future of Fear, which originally aired on "Chiller" last November.

I am kind of late to "Chiller". I was thrilled when we got it, but when I saw that it was mainly Buffy reruns and shows that were canceled after one season I checked out. (I love Buffy, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting a little something more from a channel devoted to horror). The Future of Fear is a talking heads documentary that gathers some of the most esteemed horror filmmakers and writers to talk about where the horror genre might be headed.

I love listening to people who love horror talk about horror, and the Future of Fear delivers. We get commentary by the likes of Carpenter, Romero, Landis, Anne Rice, and my new horror crush Tom Holland. My only complaint is that for a show called the Future of Fear we don't have that many contemporary, up and coming filmmakers or writers throwing in their two cents. James Wan and Leigh Wannell are interviewed (James Wan is so hyper I can't imagine what it must be like to be on set with him) as is Oren Peli. My favorite sound bites come from Jovanka Vuckovic, former head of Rue Morgue magazine. It's great to see her sharing her opinions on the horror genre.

So in what direction do these experts think the horror genre is headed? The big conclusion is "we have no idea." The one thing they can agree on is that women will take a bigger role in horror, both as writers and directors. Let's hope.

As I said earlier, I couldn't sleep because of The Walking Dead. I don't talk about that show much here, but I love it. I think every episode this season has been better than the last and last week's unexpected death devastated me. I was bawling. Last night's episode, Better Angels, was equally amazing. I am not going to spoil, but let's just say it was downright Shakespearean.

The last 20 minutes were so intense I could barely watch. I think we all knew what was coming, but that didn't take away from the actual shock of it. Everything this season has led up to this point, and those that complain that the show is too slow or too talky need to realize that last nights episode wouldn't have had the same impact if we had not gone on this journey with the characters. And for those that just want some Zombie action, don't worry: they are coming! The final shot is what kept me up all night. The siege is coming!

On a final note: I just want to declare my nerd love for John Carter.

People are bashing it but I found it old fashioned, exciting, and rather charming. I am not a huge Sci-Fi fan, but I love pulp, I love Edgar Rice Burroughs, and I love the thought that kids reading the Barsoom series back in the day could look up at Mars and wonder if there really was life up there. That sense of wonder is becoming a faint memory. John Carter restores it a little. It's long, but there are worse places to spend a few hours than on Mars.